Scrapbooking Tools and Supplies | Take Great Pictures

Most of us have had some experience with scrapbooking — whether it was pasting newspaper clippings into a dime-store scrapbook or filling “Baby’s First Photo Album” with pictures, vaccinations, and other baby milestones. By its strictest definition, the term “scrapbook” covers many forms of memory preservation, from basic to artistic, and as Jeannie Wines-Reed, editor of Scrapbook Retailer says, “Everybody has a story to tell, no matter what their background, income, or talent.”

Unfortunately, scrapbooking has become such a high-profile hobby newcomers are often intimidated by the fancy layouts and clever design ideas they see in magazine articles. “I can’t possibly come up with designs like the ones I see in those books,” you think to yourself. “So why should I bother?” Because if you don’t, you’ll be breaking my third rule of scrapbooking:

Just remember that everybody brings their own talent to the scrapbooking table, whether it’s an eye for color, engaging pictures, or great journaling. Learn to use your inborn talents to establish a personal style and add new techniques as you become more comfortable with the medium.

Then consider this: it’s the high-profile artists that most often break my first two rules of scrapbooking:

If you learn the basics of scrapbooking, you’ll find it’s not at all difficult to make a good scrapbook layout. In fact, it’s much more difficult to control your enthusiasm once you get started! So before you get carried away buying every cool product you see in the store, use this guide to get acquainted with the basic tools, supplies, and materials involved in making a scrapbook. And remember, you don’t have to buy everything at once. Take your time and buy only what you need to get started. There’ll be plenty of time to add on as your scrapbooking skills evolve.

Today’s scrapbookers have more creative options than any previous generation. They can buy scrapbooking supplies from dozens of popular retailers, take classes from “certified” scrapbooking teachers, and share their layout ideas with millions of scrapbookers on the Internet. They can even choose to buy their

scrapbook supplies as coordinated page kits that come with everything needed to create a few scrapbook pages or an entire album.

While the scrapbooking kits make your shopping a little easier, they don’t always provide the selection or quality you would choose if you were to handpick your own papers, stickers, and embellishments. So before you go shopping, review the materials listed in this article, then take your time browsing the Internet or neighborhood suppliers for the products that best suit your taste and budget.

The following scrapbooking tools are listed in order of importance (as close as possible) to help readers establish a priority on their purchases.

1. Scissors. Invest in at least one pair of short, sharp trimming scissors to be used exclusively for scrapbooking. Choose one with a cover to protect the sharp point. They start at about $7 a pair.

2. Paper Cutter. Don’t skip this one—a paper cutter is an invaluable tool for cutting straight edges and putting 90-degree corners on your photos and mats. You’ll want a personal “rotary” or “guillotine” cutter that can handle pages up to 12 inches wide ($20 to $60), and if possible, add a smaller blade trimmer for more intricate jobs ($10+).

3. Artist’s Knife. The X-ACTO brand is the most popular artist’s knife on the market, available in many sizes and styles to fit comfortably in your hand. While it’s not a critical scrapbooking tool, it really comes in handy when you want to cut materials that are too heavy or large for a paper cutter.

4. Ruler. A sturdy, 18-inch stainless steel ruler, marked in both inches and millimeters, is ideal for double-checking straight lines and measurements. Get one with a cork backing to help keep it steady while you draw or cut a straight line. An alternative (or additional) ruler, useful for centering headlines on a page, is called a “Zero Centering Ruler,” and is specifically designed for page layout. I also like to keep a “hemming ruler” in my tool pouch, like the one shown below. At 6 inches long, it’s small and lightweight, making it easier to maneuver around small mats, photos, and page elements.

5. Permanent Pens. The type of pens you use to write headlines, captions, or journaling are just as important as the quality of your scrapbooking paper. Water-based markers, like the ones you give your children so they don’t stain their clothes, are not going to work in a scrapbook. The first time someone accidentally drips water on the ink, it will run, and eventually all the ink will begin to fade. Fortunately, there are many companies making permanent markers, though the degree of permanence varies in some products. The ZIG pens on the left are considered very high-quality, but they are also very expensive. If you’re concerned about the longevity of the journaling or drawing on your pages, you can spray them with a coat of artist’s fixative when your finished and extend the life of your books.

6. Hole Punch. A traditional hand-held hole punch, like the one on the left, works great for putting holes in tags and other small items, however, you’ll need a straight hole punch, like the ones on the right, to knock out holes in the center of a large sheet of paper or cardstock. Several companies make hole punch sets with different size tips (1/16, 1/8, and 3/16-inch).

7. Eyelet Setter. An eyelet setter looks very much like a straight hole punch, except that it has a domed or pointed tip that fits over the back of an eyelet (like the yellow one shown here). When you strike the eyelet setter with a rubber or wood hammer, it spreads the eyelet’s backing and curls the edges down on the paper to secure it in place—in theory. (I frequently have a hard time getting the eyelet to spread, which is why I prefer to use brads, like the orange one on the right.) Eyelet setters—like hole punches — can be purchased in kits to accommodate different size brads.

8.Tweezers
For those of us who are not as nibble-fingered as we once were, a small pair of tweezers helps to pick through piles of eyelets, brads, and other miniature page decorations. Of course, a standard pair of eyebrow tweezers will work just as well, but you won’t have to worry about your teenager borrowing and not returning them.

9. Household tools
Most “how-to” books will tell you to keep lightweight sandpaper and steel wool in your tool kit for “aging” papers—a process we’ll discuss in more detail later—but I like to suggest using a heavy grade emery board in place of sandpaper because it’s easier to maneuver around paper edges and corners, with much more control than even a sanding block. The carpet needle is large enough to thread light cord or medium wool for stitching elements on your pages, but I find it especially useful for clearing the little circles of paper out of my hole punches.

10.Cutting Mat. Self-healing cutting mats are not required in scrapbooking, but they help protect your tables and counters when using an X-Acto knife, hole punch, or eyelet setter. (A cheaper alternative for cutting materials is heavy cardboard, but you’ll need a piece of wood to punch holes or set eyelets.)

11.Scrapbook Supply Folders. This is another optional product that you’ll find very helpful while you’re working on your scrapbook pages. Look for plastic, accordion-style file folders large enough to hold 12x12 paper, vellum, cardstock, and sticker sheets, without bending them. They’re only a few dollars and well worth the investment.

The “Once Upon a Time” portfolio (top), distributed by Big Lots stores, is similar to portfolios made by other manufacturers. It has 10 expandable pockets for 12x12 paper and a few extra pockets to stash smaller items. The “Scrappers Binder” by Better Office Products (bottom) takes a lot of stress off my good albums and weighs a lot less when transporting samples. Now I keep unfinished layouts—both 8.5x11 and 12x12—in this plastic binder. It has pockets on the inside cover, several plastic dividers with pockets, and a slot for a business card.

1. Albums
The album you choose to hold your scrapbook pages should be of sturdy quality and flexible enough to accommodate the papers and embellishments you plan to use. There are three popular styles: Post-bound, strap hinge, and three-ring binder, plus a wide assortment of “mini-albums” for quick projects.

Our Nation’s Capital - Paper Pizzazz makes a great selection of “collage” papers like this one called Travel West. I was delighted to find that the Jolee’s Washington DC stickers matched the graphics in the paper almost perfectly, so I made several versions of this layout—both 8.5x11 and 12x12 inches—for family scrapbooks.

a. Post-bound albums use small metal posts to hold the pages in the album. To add pages or change their order, you unscrew the posts, add extensions (if needed), and re-screwed the posts with the cover place. This design allows adjacent pages to lie flat next to each other, with a minimum amount of space between facing pages. Although page capacity is supposed to be unlimited, too many pages can make the album look “over-stuffed.”

The “Book Look Album” by Karen Foster Design uses a post-bound system with Flip & TurnTM posts that don’t require a screwdriver to open and close. Notice how the latch on the top of the post is covered by cardboard to protect the album. These pages, which measure 6x12 inches, lay flat, side-by-side, to make up a 12x12-inch spread.

b. Strap hinge albums have two straps that are threaded through thin metal hinges on the back edges of each scrapbook page. To add new pages, you must remove the straps and run them through the new pages. These albums use a false slip-in binding (on the left) to cover the straps inside. This design also lies flat with minimal space between facing pages.

A Creative Memories strap hinge album with the false slip-in binding inserted between the front and back covers. Photo Copyright Creative Memories (www.creativememories.com)

Strap hinge pages have small metal hinges, like the ones shown here, to thread with leather straps connected to the book’s cover.

Carrots! - This layout was created by Marilyn Dunsmore: a consultant for Creative Memories scrapbooking products (www.creativememories.com). This page comes from an 8x8-inch strap hinge album, which is reinforced on the outside edge, as well as on the binding edge (right) that holds the metal hinges. A talented artist by trade, Marilyn (pictured with the carrots) draws many of the colorful graphics in her scrapbooks.

c. Three-ring albums are the simplest and most flexible scrapbooks for adding, removing, or repositioning pages and they handle the bulk of three-dimensional embellishments better than strap-hinge and post-bound albums. The major drawback is the open space between facing pages (due to the center rings), which makes them less desirable for scrappers who like to carry design elements across a two-page spread.

Hiller Books & Binder makes a series of oversized Living Oak Scrapbooks for 8.5x11- and 12x12-inch pages. They’re great for scrappers like me who like to include small (and large) mementos on my pages—making them a little too bulky for post-bound or strap hinge books. Each book includes a plastic pocket on the binding where you can slip an embellished I.D. label.

d. Mini-albums come in all shapes and sizes. A small 6x6 or 8x8-inch album makes a great gift for Father’s Day, newlyweds, or even landmark birthdays. Like the larger albums, some are sold in kits with paper and stickers to create a theme, or they’re sold individually to create your own design. Because the books are so thin, you generally don’t add cardstock, but use the pages that come with the book and add small pieces of printed paper, ribbon, and stickers for color. You can buy page protectors for 6x6 and 8x8-inch albums, or you can buy three-ring mini-albums that include smaller versions of the loose-leaf page protectors described below.

DCWV sells 8x8-inch mini-albums alone or in theme sets that include a digital scrapbooking software CD by HP Marketing. The die-cut window in front turns your first page into a cover picture.

2. Page Protectors
Page protectors are among the most important scrapbooking purchases you’ll make. To safely protect your pages and photos, look for sleeves made of acid-free, PVC-free polypropylene. Most credible scrapbook manufacturers use safe materials, but it helps to know what to look for and what to avoid. For example, there’s a simple, but effective test for any plastic photo product: If the plastic has an odor, don’t buy it. Whatever chemical you smell in the plastic will eventually leech into your paper and photos.

This 6x6-inch page protector was made to fit a two-ring binder made by PerforMore. While it works just fine for holding 6x6-inch layout pages, it’s even more valuable for displaying 6x6 reproductions of the 12x12 pages I give away. This page is actually a photograph made from a digital scan of the original page.

The size and style of page protector depends on the album. Three-ring binders typically use top-loading (loose-leaf) sleeves, with a reinforced, three-hole-punched strip down one side. You simply slip your finished pages back-to-back into the plastic sleeves. Many post-bound albums also use top-loading sleeves, but you have to buy the brand that comes with the album when adding additional pages. (Always save product wrappings or inserts with important replacement information.) Strap-hinge scrapbooks use side-loading sleeves, which are also brand specific. If you’d like an overview of popular albums and the page protectors they use, Scrapbook.com provides a handy chart that lists compatible page protectors for nearly two dozen scrapbooks: http://www.scrapbook.com/articles/doc/11100/146.html

3. Adhesives
There are many different kinds of adhesive used in scrapbooking—everything from liquid glue to double-stick tape with, the very popular dots and tabs in between. Most scrapbook kits include the economical “photo safe” glue stick, but they aren’t always reliable and tend to dry out. One glue stick I do like to have on hand is the “repositionable” type, which holds my photos in place temporarily so I can pull them off and move them to another location the next time I work on a page.

Mounting stickers and sticky dots work especially well for gluing small objects or applying to corners of photos (with a few dots in the middle) to hold them down neatly. Vellum tape is thin and elastic, so if used carefully, it can hold vellum in place without showing through the material (this usually takes a little practice). The rolls of foam tape laying on the left side of the photo are perfect for making objects “pop” off the page.

Most scrapbookers end up using several different kinds of adhesive, depending on the elements they’re trying to attach and what they feel most comfortable using. I use Scotch double-sided tape when I have long stretches of material to hold down (primarily because it’s economical), but I still use it only on paper — never directly on a photograph.

4. Cardstock
Cardstock can serve either as the background for your scrapbook pages or as a stable support for lightweight printed papers, or you can cut it into smaller pieces to use as mats for your pictures and cutouts. Several companies have developed textured cardstock that adds as much to the look of your pages as the printed papers (see sample below). With the growing number of companies developing new colors and textures, you can find just about anything you need to enhance your page layouts and embellishments. Just like other scrapbooking supplies, make sure the cardstock you choose is acid- and lignin-free.

The background for this graphic is a piece of 4.5x6.5-inch cardstock from a Die Cuts With a View “Mat Stack” which provides 22 coordinated colors. The texture in the mat helps set off the Jolee’s Sticker set by EK Success. The 3-D bubbles are made by covering blue bubble stickers with plastic dots.

Bubbles of Fun - By creating this page’s graphics on a separate sheet of textured cardstock, it makes a 3D picture much like the framed “bathroom art” sold in old-fashioned country stores. Even the textured background looks like wallpaper. When planning a page layout, look for paper and embellishments that reflect the theme and/or color of your pictures. (In this case, I could have used an orange and green color scheme.)

5. Printed Papers
Printed scrapbook paper is one of the most enjoyable products to shop for because there’s so many from which to choose. You can buy printed papers as single sheets, matching colors and designs as you survey the bins in the store, or you can buy scrapbooking paper in sets—with or without matching cardstock and embellishments. Some companies sell tear-off pads of paper in different sizes, colors, or themes. This is a very convenient approach, but somewhat risky as you’re bound to end up with sheets you’ll never use. The most important thing to remember is that the quality of printed papers is just as important as the quality of your base card stock. (In fact, some printed papers are heavy enough to serve as a base paper.) Make sure whatever paper you choose is acid- and lignin-free and strong enough to endure any texturizing you may want to do in your layout, like tearing, sanding, and gluing without unwanted wrinkles.

This collection of papers illustrates a relatively straightforward technique of paper matching. I started with the dotted paper in the background, then found two sheets of cardstock—dark and light orange—that I cut down to frame the image. The striped paper came to me as a press sample, but I liked the touch of contrast it added with my base color. Finally, the squiggly flowers in the center came on a sheet of punch-out tags from ki Memories. To see how it all came together (with some embellishment variations), click on the following link: http://www.bastet.us/Kim

Vellum is a translucent paper that comes in many different colors, from clear—which actually has a smoky appearance—to deep reds, blues, and yellows (and everything in between). Printed vellum makes a beautiful embellishment. In fact, some companies make matching vellum for their printed papers in themes ranging from Scouts to Dandelions.

Like conventional printed papers, vellum is sold in packs or by the sheet. Scrapbook retailers are more likely to have a large selection of vellum than chain stores, often selling soft pastel colors by the sheet, along with special designs incorporating metallic, confetti, or gold flecks. If you’re not too choosy about selection, you’ll also find plenty of vellum at the craft stores. Just make sure that you test the vellum against the background you plan to use it with, because it’s impossible to predict how a single sheet of vellum will look against different colored backgrounds.

Memories - Here’s an example of how printed vellum can be used as a decorative element on a scrapbook page. The clear stripes of vellum pick up color from the background paper, which is why it is only compatible with certain backgrounds. The material behind my mother’s picture is another thin, textured material called “mulberry.”

How do you use vellum? Just like cardstock, vellum can be used to mat your pictures or embellishments. I frequently use clear or pastel vellum for captions and headlines because it accepts both hand-written and inkjet printed journaling, and still allows some of the background to show through. We’ll explore many more ideas and techniques in upcoming columns.

Beware, not all vellum is acid free, so be sure to check it with an Acid or pH testing pen before getting it near your photos.

This journaling block began as a plain yellow tag made by DCWV and covered with white printed vellum cut the same size. The ribbon and fibers were chosen to match darker colors in the layout and to add texture to the page. To print my journaling on the paper, I typed the copy on the computer, sizing it to fit within the parameters of the vellum. By making test runs on regular paper, I was able to determine when the journaling was the right size to fit on the tag. Then I carefully taped the vellum over the printing on the test sheet and ran the paper through again. Instead of printing the words on the sheet of paper, it printed them on the vellum. You can see the how well it worked on “The Golden Years” layout below

The Golden Years - Combining a variety of textures is a great way to add interest to your scrapbook page, as long as they don’t overpower the central image. Both the caption and journaling block were printed on vellum using an inkjet printer. The title “The Golden Years” was applied to handmade paper and the typewriter keys on the right were given dimension by covering each sticker with a clear adhesive dot.

Browse through the aisles of a scrapbooking or craft retailer, and it won’t be long before the really “cool” papers catch your eye. This can be good on one hand, triggering your creativity and improving your layouts, or it can start a never-ending fixation on collecting cool papers that only end up gathering dust in your storage drawers. The best way to avoid the latter is to buy only if you have a plan for the product, or to buy only products that you’ve matched with a photo or other papers before leaving the store. Here are a few samples of textured papers that can add a lot to your layouts.

Mulberry

Little Man - The printed paper in this layout is a galaxy of blended blues and purples that pick up the color of dad’s tie and my son’s first suit pants. I used mulberry to make the photo mats, but this time I tore the edges to add more texture. The three pennies look real enough, but they actually come from a plastic money-counting game, so they weigh much less than the real thing.

Our Family - This layout is an example of using textured cardstock as the base paper and printed paper as a design element. The “torn paper” technique is very popular, especially in historical scrapbooking. Lightweight printed papers usually leave a strong white border that you can color with chalk or leave white. Notice how the double matting helps to set off the photo.